wu tang, a year to forget

[Cosimo]

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/6721/41826811vh0.png

a classic!

for me when talking about wu tang, 08 has been a year to forget. december 07 saw the release of the massively disappointing 8 diagrams and solo albums that followed have been predictable and quite dull. i used to be a big wu fan but they have not brought the heat for many years now, i know cats have got older so i aint going to give em much grief. they were on top of their game in the early to mid 90's

i have been waiting on raekwons cuban linx 2 for what seems like a lifetime, hopefully it will see the light of day as promised this year in early 09 but i have my doubts

might have missed out a few

the excellent
36 chambers
liquid swords
forever
only built for cuban linx
ghost dog score
return to the 36 chambers

pretty good
supreme clientele
the w
gza dj muggs album grandmasters
ironman
the world according to rza, instrumentals were wicked!
6 feet deep (only rza but still)

average
fishscale (exception ragu)
tical
no said date
afro samurai
made in brooklyn
wu tang meets indie culture

poor
4.1 the day after
the big doe rehab
ironflag
tical 2000
digi snacks
the pretty toney album
bulletproof wars
pro tools
bobby digital
beneath the surface
immobilarity
lex diamond story
and all solo albums from u-god

[Tayzlor]

You're crazy. Ghostface has been carrying the flag for years. His last four albums were exceptional.

[Cosimo]

me loco? :) just have high expectations blad

ghost is cool when he aint rocking with ne-yo
the last 4 albums weren't better than ironman or supreme clientele, no way jose.
favourite ghost track is mighty healthy, freakin sick hombre

[DarkKnight81]

I haven't bought any new WuTang since Iron Flag...or was it W? Whichever came out last. I really like 36 Chambers, Forever, and the first Wu-Chronicles. Aside from that they've been just ordinary.

[Cosimo]

aint surprised you stopped buying after ironflag

wu members have done some good tracks here and there since then but albums in general have been very disappointing

[Tayzlor]

the last 4 albums weren't better than ironman or supreme clientele, no way jose.


Okay, I had forgot about "Bulletproof Wallets" but that's only because I haven't heard it.

"Fishscale" is my favorite rap album of the 2000s and responsible for getting me into rap. Absolutely adore the thing. His other releases are up there as well.

I would call Ghostface the rapper of this decade if I didn't relate to Kanye and MF Doom more.

I'll admit I haven't heard the revered solo albums of the nineties. Isn't Cuban Linx supposed to be (basically) a Raekwon/Ghostface album? Perhaps I should go with that

[Cosimo]

I'll admit I haven't heard the revered solo albums of the nineties. Isn't Cuban Linx supposed to be (basically) a Raekwon/Ghostface album? Perhaps I should go with that

get on it capa, it's outstanding man! yeah it's pretty much a colab album with ghost appearing on the majority, but it's officially a raekwon solo album, them were the days :(

the tracks i really like on fishscale

whip you with a strap (more dilla genius)
and r.a.g.u

[detective mills]

I gave up on The Wu recently. Ghostface was really the only member who's solo work I was looking for. Fishscale was great, but More Fish and Big Doe Rehab were disappointing. Nothing beats Supreme Clientele for me though.

I guess I also looked for Method Man's cds just hoping he would finally live up to his potential but I've also given up on that. He's too invested in acting.

Raekwon and GZA could never live up to their classics, Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords, respectively. Although Grandmasters was a solid cd.

The group cds have gotten progressively worse since 36 Chambers, and 8 Diagrams was practically unlistenable.

I would love nothing more then to see The Wu make a comeback, but unfortunately I don't see that happening, and I no longer anticipate the release of their albums.

[Cosimo]

and 8 Diagrams was practically unlistenable.


there were two ok tracks on 8 diagrams. iron flag was the worst though, twas freakin terrible!

in the grand scheme of things though 8 diagrams was still better than most hip hop records released this year

[detective mills]

Yeah I guess Iron Flag was probably worse than 8 Diagrams, but there was such a long wait inbetween the two releases that I had forgotten about Iron Flag. It was obviously rushed, coming out only 1 year after The W.

[Preston_79]

The Wu is slipping as a group. When the members put out their solo albums they've been good, so I can't bash them too hard.

Anyone know if Old Dirty still has an album waiting to be released? I thought he was working on something when he died. "Nigga Please" was killer.

They just had a concert in Boise that I heard was good.

[john_rambo]

I liked 8 Diagrams, and if you don't like it, I'll fuckin, I'll fuckin sew your asshole shut and keep feeding you, and feeding you, and feeding you.

I absolutely love Heart Gently Weeps. It's just great from the weird lyrics, to the fact they got Giles Harrison playing on it in honor of his dad.

[Dehydrator]

Upon it´s release I was sure that "8 Diagrams" would grow on me with time but right now I´m still on the fence. It had a few quality tracks ("Campfire", "Heart gently weeps", "Rushing Elephants", "Gun will Go") but overall it doesn´t really click with me. As for the recent solo albums, I´m digging "Pro-Tools" and "Digi Snacks". "Made in Brooklyn" has some real good shit sandwitched between total crap ("Let´s get into something", "The Future" WTF?????!) and decent production. I wouldn´t put my money on "Cuban Linx 2" not sucking, since Reakwon´s solo albums all did just that with the exeption of "Cuban Linx" of course. U-God has always been terrible and will never be any good, no matter how good his rhymes are, the man´s voice fucking blows. He had precisely ONE good moment in his entire rapping lifespan which was on "Killa Hill Niggaz" on "Temples of Boom" by Cypress. I haven´t heard any of Ghostface´s recent stuff.

[Danger^Cart]

If you're holding out for any rap album even on par with Liquid Swords, no wonder you're bitter. There's a reason he's "The Genius."

Honestly, I can listen to any 'Tang, or any of their solo shit, any time of day, all day, every day. And I do.

It's all fuckin' exceptional.

[john_rambo]

If you're holding out for any rap album even on par with Liquid Swords, no wonder you're bitter. There's a reason he's "The Genius."

Honestly, I can listen to any 'Tang, or any of their solo shit, any time of day, all day, every day. And I do.

It's all fuckin' exceptional.

Yeah, I actually am relatively new as far as listening to wu tang, but I never realized how great these guys really are. The RZA is one of the true geniuses in the hip hop game. And I repeat! Heart Gently Weeps>All.

[Dehydrator]

Honestly, I can listen to any 'Tang, or any of their solo shit, any time of day, all day, every day. And I do.

It's all fuckin' exceptional.

Mst of the wu´s recent releases is a hughe drop from their best work (Enter the Wu-Tang ,each core member´s 1st solo effort). Just give Tical a spin and then Meth´s latest solo joint, you´ll see what I mean. It sounds all so ordinary and lifeless. "All I need" from "Tical" was a love song at heart but it still sounded badass and dark. "Release yo delf" from the same record had an RnB chorus but it was still intense and crazy. It´s moments like that that they completely lack today. Think of that useless D`jangelo feature on "The Day after". It´s like money eating creativity and skill. As far as hiphop in general (or better, what most people preceive it is) is concerned you´re properbly right, I guess half-assed Wu-Tang is still better than about 70% of the crap out there but I´d rather listen to something else (their older albums for instance).

[Danger^Cart]

Actually, I just listened to the entirety of Cuban Linx today, and I think I may actually like it more than Liquid Swordz.

Amazing fucking album. Gotta hand it to The Chef.

[Dehydrator]

Actually, I just listened to the entirety of Cuban Linx today, and I think I may actually like it more than Liquid Swordz.

Amazing fucking album. Gotta hand it to The Chef.

The solo debuts of Meth, Ghost, Rea, GZA (okay, "Liquid Swords" is not his debut but anyway) and ODB are on the same quality level, for me anyways. The one thing I don´t like about "Cuban Linx" is the features of NAS and Cappadonna ("I love you like I love my dick-size" - ugh ). Otherwise it´s killer though.

What´s everyones thoughts on the Wu-Affiliates (meaning the crews or solo artists that have some connection to the clan)? My personal faves have always been Gravediggaz, they´re an entity of their own anyway but I see some paralells between "Enter the Wu-Tang" and "Six feet Deep". I love everything they put out, Grym Reaper aka Poetic is one of the most undeservedly unsung fallen soldiers of real hip-hop. Buddah Monk´s "Prophecy" album is classy as well, "Silent Weapons for quiet Wars" by Killarmy rules mightily. Anyone heard of Wu-Gambinos ? I missed their debut in it´s hey-day but I`m trying to find a copy, as well as LA the Darkman´s "Heist of the Century".

[Cosimo]

some great tracks on heist of the century. i also rate the first albums by gravediggaz (prince paul!!) and killarmy

i love the freestyle by a few wu affiliates in jarmusch's ghost dog over the ice cream beat, can't find it anywhere though :(

[detective mills]

Dirty Weaponry by Killarmy is a great cd.

[Jon Lyrik]

8 Diagrams was good. But they have been unfocused for a while as a group, yes. Maybe if they collectively turned the faucet down a bit that would change, but it takes the fun out of it.